


In Your Arms (I'd like to stay)

by Idisch_von_Swedish



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Conflict, Established Relationship, F/F, I'm Sorry, The Charmings ruin everything, Unhappy Ending, no magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-27
Updated: 2016-09-27
Packaged: 2018-08-18 04:38:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8149352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Idisch_von_Swedish/pseuds/Idisch_von_Swedish
Summary: Emma and Regina are married and wish nothing else than to be able to enjoy family life and raise Henry together in peace. Unfortunately, Emma's parents don't approve, and they are trying very hard to shatter Emma's dreams.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I heard a song and got an idea.  
> Thanks to Sam for encouraging me to write it :)
> 
> Proceed with caution... xD

“Hello, Sexypants,” Emma greets as she saunters into the flawless kitchen.

 

“Emma!” Regina calls out, surprised, and takes a break from her dinner preparations to go kiss her wife hello. “I feel like I haven't seen you in forever.”

 

Emma laughs and initiates another – more lingering – kiss but then looks a little guilty.

 

“I'm sorry. Orders. It was beyond my control.”

 

“But you’re gonna stay for a while now, right? Henry will be thrilled to see you, and I...I’ve missed you terribly.”

 

“I’ve missed you, too, Regina. I'll try to be around more,” Emma promises the hopeful brunette, sneaking her arms around her waist. “But you know my parents. They’re doing their best to ruin this.”

 

Regina gets a dangerous look in her eyes.

 

“Well, I don't give a damn about those two idiots! They've done enough damage. Just ignore them, dear.”

 

“If it only was that easy... But hey, I'll do my best. What's for dinner?”

 

“What does it look like?” Regina questions and gestures toward the kitchen counter where Emma can see a bunch of familiar ingredients.

 

“Ooh, lasagna. How unexpected!”

 

Regina playfully smacks her wife’s firm ass and moves away to continue with the preparations.

 

“Watch your mouth, Miss Swan, or you won't be having any dinner at all.”

 

“Hey, it's Mrs. Swan-Mills now.”

 

“Well, _Mrs_. Swan-Mills, do you care to make dessert? We should celebrate that you're back.”

 

“Err, eh, I think I need a shower, actually. And, um, I definitely need to say hello to our son. And, uh...”

 

“You're incorrigible. I expect you to at least set the table and you better take care of the dirty dishes later.”

 

“Yes, my queen,” Emma says sweetly and kisses Regina’s cheek before quickly escaping the kitchen.

 

She hurries up the stairs, two steps at the time, and bangs loudly on Henry’s door, knowing he'll probably have headphones on. He's growing up so fast. It feels as if he was a little kid mere moments ago and now he's already a teenager. She opens the door.

 

“Mom! You're back!” Henry squeals in a voice that doesn't quite know if it's gonna be light or deep.

 

He pulls off his headset – she was right – and wraps his arms around her almost before she's had time to step into his room. He's less collected than his other mother, that's for sure.

 

“Are you staying? Please tell me you're staying.”

 

“Yes, kid,” Emma says and hugs him tight. “That's the plan.”

 

* * *

 

A few days later, after catching up and getting back into old routines, Emma reluctantly agrees to have dinner with her parents again. Regina and Henry aren't invited, as usual.

 

“So, how’s your week been, Emma?” her father wonders. “We've barely seen you.”

 

“It’s been great,” she replies causally.

 

“And our deal?”

 

“Great, too,” she lies and dives into the food to avoid further conversation.

 

“Emma,” her mother says warningly. “Remember what we agreed on. You promised. It’s for your own good.”

 

“I know! I'm fine, geez.”

 

“Look, sweetheart, if you’re struggling-“

 

And just like that, Emma has had enough.

 

“I'M NOT STRUGGLING!” she shouts, smacking an open palm onto the table in frustration. “You're the ones who are struggling, not me!”

 

“Emma, please don't do this,” her mother tries, but to no avail.

 

“Really, what do you have against Regina?”

 

“Emma...”

 

Her mother is close to tears now but Emma doesn’t _care_ , she's done with her parents’ bullshit.

 

“Why do you have to be so damn narrow-minded?”

 

“This insanity needs to stop,” her father barks authoritatively, putting a protective arm around his wife’s shoulders. “I'm calling your psychiatrist again.”

 

“Fuck! You can't do that! I'm an adult for God’s sake!”

 

“We’ll do what we have to do to get you well again.”

 

“Stop talking as if there's something wrong with me. I’m not sick!”

 

“Of course not,” her mother says softly, but Emma is not stupid.

 

“I get it. I fell in love with the wrong person. But this is _my_ life and you're trying to ruin something beautiful.”

 

Both her parents quiet and give her _the_ _look_. Emma hates that look. She hates it and hates it and underneath all that hatred she's hurt. So hurt. It creeps upward, lurks behind her eyes, burns, stings. She won't cry. Not in front of _them_.

 

Regina. She needs Regina.

 

Without a word she demonstratively pushes her chair back and stands. She's barely touched her food and can already see a comment about that forming in her mother’s mind. Before anyone is able to say anything, though, she leaves the table.

 

* * *

 

“Hey, how did it go?”

 

That's all it takes for the suppressed tears to make a comeback and spill over. Emma basically throws herself in her Regina’s arms, clinging onto her tightly as she cries.

 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Regina soothes and strokes her back.

 

“No, it's not,” Emma says hopelessly, shaking her head. “I'm scared. I don't want to lose you.”

 

“Oh Emma, you won't lose me. Don't let your parents get to you like this. I'm not going anywhere.”

 

“You don't understand...”

 

Emma lets out a strangled sob and Regina holds her even closer.

 

“I love you.”

 

Regina is just about to reply when everything turns black. All noise dies down. Emma is alone.

 

“NOO!” she howls, panic rising.

 

Then the power is back and her computer whirrs to life again. But it's no use. She didn't get to save those last moments and it'll take a few minutes to restart the game. To get Regina back. But then what? Her parents can just turn the power off again, and again, and again.

 

There's a firm knock on her bedroom door and she snaps around, tears still wet on her cheeks.

 

“Emma, unlock the door. We need to talk.”

 

“I hate you!” she yells at them, rips off her headphones, and leaps from her seat to her bed. “I have one thing in my life that isn't utterly horrible and you want to take it away!”

 

“But it’s not real, Emma. We’d rather see you come back to reality and find something real.”

 

“I don't care,” she says, quiet enough for her parents to not hear. “It’s real to me.”

 

“We’re going to take the game away and you will go back to Archie. We’ll remove your computer if we must. You may be over eighteen but you’re still our daughter and we want you to be happy.”

 

“More like be _normal_ ,” she mutters.

 

Her chest aches and she knows she won't be able to fight this anxiety attack, not when Regina is gone and there isn't any hope of ever seeing her again.

 

“Oh God,” she groans and curls into a ball as it hits her.

 

Never. She'll _never_ see Regina again. The realization is suffocating. Emma wants to scream but not even a whimper falls from her lips. _Never_. And Henry, she'll never see him again, either. Her life is over. Through unshed tears her gaze falls upon the ring on her left hand. As the tears fall she opens the drawer of her nightstand and picks up a matching band. _Never_. Regina could never wear it and now she’s gone forever.

 

Emma’s illusion is destroyed and reality is clawing at her, an unstoppable force dragging her down into darkness, fear, and pain. Reality is hell. A hell where Regina and Henry don't exist and Emma’s only friend is one of the voices in her head that’s not quite as mean as the others. With trembling hands she adds Regina’s ring to her own finger, so that she wears them both.

 

 _Never_.

 

Reality sucks.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Sometimes one can get a little too carried away playing The Sims...


End file.
